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The Unruly Passions of Eugénie R.
Love and war converge in this lush, epic story of a young woman’s coming of age during and after France’s Second Empire (1860–1871), an era that was absinthe-soaked, fueled by railway money and prostitution, and transformed by cataclysmic social upheaval.
Eugénie R., born in foie gras country, follows the man she loves to Paris but soon finds herself marooned. An outcast, she charts the treacherous waters of sexual commerce on a journey through artists’ ateliers and pawnshops, zinc bars and luxurious bordellos. Giving birth to a daughter she is forced to abandon, Eugénie spends the next ten years fighting to get her back, falling in love along the way with an artist, a woman, and a revolutionary. Then, as the gates of the city close on the eve of the Siege of Paris, Eugénie comes face to face with her past. Drawn into a net of desire and need, promises and lies, she must make a choice and find her way to a life that she can call her own.
Eugénie R., born in foie gras country, follows the man she loves to Paris but soon finds herself marooned. An outcast, she charts the treacherous waters of sexual commerce on a journey through artists’ ateliers and pawnshops, zinc bars and luxurious bordellos. Giving birth to a daughter she is forced to abandon, Eugénie spends the next ten years fighting to get her back, falling in love along the way with an artist, a woman, and a revolutionary. Then, as the gates of the city close on the eve of the Siege of Paris, Eugénie comes face to face with her past. Drawn into a net of desire and need, promises and lies, she must make a choice and find her way to a life that she can call her own.
419 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
27 people are currently reading
1030 people want to read
About the author
Carole DeSanti
2 books11 followersCarole DeSanti is a longtime book editor and champion of new voices in fiction. Her work has appeared in The New York Times and the Women's Review of Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
July 17, 2012
This book is a nugget of good story, wrapped in several layers of unnecessary description. In the end, the story becomes both dry and bogged down, which is too bad, because I really enjoyed the concept.
I guess I also expected that Eugenie's passions would be a little more, I don't know, unruly? While there is no doubt that her passions and poor judgement are the start of the book, most of it feels like she is coping with circumstances. She even becomes a generally respectable person in her world rather quickly. It felt a bit like the author was afraid to do any 'real' damage to her character. For all the excess description, I think perhaps the book should have been grittier.
All in all, good concept, but I'm not likely to recommend it to friends.
I guess I also expected that Eugenie's passions would be a little more, I don't know, unruly? While there is no doubt that her passions and poor judgement are the start of the book, most of it feels like she is coping with circumstances. She even becomes a generally respectable person in her world rather quickly. It felt a bit like the author was afraid to do any 'real' damage to her character. For all the excess description, I think perhaps the book should have been grittier.
All in all, good concept, but I'm not likely to recommend it to friends.
abandoned
April 6, 2013I have started this book and put it down several times, and this time it's being put down for good. Literary fiction and I just don't get along, and I'm going to make a great effort never to touch it again. Too many pretty words and long descriptions signifying nothing. YMMV. As far as I read, the book begins around 1860 in Paris. Eugenie R was a goose girl who came to Paris (I really don't understand the circumstances of how she got there), falls on bad times and ends up in a house of prostitution.
*Yawn*
I gave up about 20% through and I'm not going back there again. Life is too short, and I've got too many books I want to read. I'll throw out a couple of quotes as an example so other readers can decide if this is the book for them or not.
"She was once part of earth, the moon. But earth turned too fast for the heaviness inside her. A bulge formed and earth began to list and wobble."
"His scent of earth; of linseed oil and iron. Two hundred stairsteps into the sky I shed my shattered self, breathed in moments, one to the next. My present cure, the coiling, bone-melting green; his arms now around my body, ever warmer in a room full of windows, seven winding stories above the street."
"A jolt, and our movement ceased; the scent of late roses swelling into the closed warmth of the carriage. The night air smelled like mown hay, flowers, and rushing water all mingled together."
"The light shifted, a shaft of wintry light-against-light: dove gray, pink, bluish. Nearby an old couple dozed in two chairs, pooled in the circle of pale sun."
Just not my cuppa tea. Note: I received an ARC from Amazon Vine (yes, I still have that copy), but the quotes are taken from a finished copy obtained via library loan (kindle copies being easier to quote from).
*Yawn*
I gave up about 20% through and I'm not going back there again. Life is too short, and I've got too many books I want to read. I'll throw out a couple of quotes as an example so other readers can decide if this is the book for them or not.
"She was once part of earth, the moon. But earth turned too fast for the heaviness inside her. A bulge formed and earth began to list and wobble."
"His scent of earth; of linseed oil and iron. Two hundred stairsteps into the sky I shed my shattered self, breathed in moments, one to the next. My present cure, the coiling, bone-melting green; his arms now around my body, ever warmer in a room full of windows, seven winding stories above the street."
"A jolt, and our movement ceased; the scent of late roses swelling into the closed warmth of the carriage. The night air smelled like mown hay, flowers, and rushing water all mingled together."
"The light shifted, a shaft of wintry light-against-light: dove gray, pink, bluish. Nearby an old couple dozed in two chairs, pooled in the circle of pale sun."
Just not my cuppa tea. Note: I received an ARC from Amazon Vine (yes, I still have that copy), but the quotes are taken from a finished copy obtained via library loan (kindle copies being easier to quote from).
June 25, 2012
Carole Desanti colors the pages of this drawn out French-period novel with mountains of purple majesty. The dreaded purple prose, flowery and full of poetic nostalgia, much like Hemingway, works to romanticise the time period, which is muddied by sin and war. The premise of the book has all the makings, but suffocates any tension with gruelingly prolonged descriptions. Instead of building the scene, I felt this approach drained any footing gained by forcing the reader into a poetic, meandering tirade that often went off course. These jaunts through the floaty prose dulled the plot and consistently made me lose interest. Early on, the dialogue is disjointed and it is difficult to keep track of the speaking characters. The dialogue is the weakest part of the book and I was disappointed by the lack of significance and emotion - especially, given the amount of laborious work that was spent on descriptions. In the later half of the novel, much attention is directed towards the detailing and history of the war. The reader is taken on a history lesson while intermittently being brought back to the characters and plot. Most likely praise and consideration for this book will be given based on the author's credentials in the publishing world, but perhaps she should stick to the other side of the desk. It's a bit of a snooze-fest, unless you're really into purple pose and beginner-style dialogue, I wouldn't recommend it. This has been done before and it has been done much better by other authors.
March 21, 2012
I didn't know what to expect with this book. The bare bones summary is: Eugenie is abandoned by her lover in Paris. Once she realizes this, she does what she has to to survive. She soon realizes she's pregnant and eventually has to give the baby up, determined to get her back again. Along the road of survival, she meets many interesting and revolutionary people, friends, lovers, etc.
The book was told in the first person, which doesn't always work. It almost didn't work here, but once the story got going, everything evened out. Eugenie is not always a reliable narrator, and she admits to embellishing here and there. I loved some of the people she encounters. My favorite was Jolie, who was like a cockroach, nothing could kill her. She was a survivor, a strong woman. Actually most of the women in this book were especially strong, had revolutionary ideas.
The book is told during the 1860s, a time that practically suffocated women. I could feel the frustration of Eugenie and her friends. My favorite quote was said by Eugenie herself:
Men will never understand a woman's follies, no matter how often we repeat them before your eyes. All you can do is accuse, and rewrite the story to please yourself.
Amen, sister.
The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R. was long winded and a chunkster. There were times where there were pages where nothing happened. However, at the end, it's worth it. The ending is not a concrete, set- in-stone ending. There are still many possibilities for Eugenie, but whatever the future holds for her, I've not doubt she survives it.
The book was told in the first person, which doesn't always work. It almost didn't work here, but once the story got going, everything evened out. Eugenie is not always a reliable narrator, and she admits to embellishing here and there. I loved some of the people she encounters. My favorite was Jolie, who was like a cockroach, nothing could kill her. She was a survivor, a strong woman. Actually most of the women in this book were especially strong, had revolutionary ideas.
The book is told during the 1860s, a time that practically suffocated women. I could feel the frustration of Eugenie and her friends. My favorite quote was said by Eugenie herself:
Men will never understand a woman's follies, no matter how often we repeat them before your eyes. All you can do is accuse, and rewrite the story to please yourself.
Amen, sister.
The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R. was long winded and a chunkster. There were times where there were pages where nothing happened. However, at the end, it's worth it. The ending is not a concrete, set- in-stone ending. There are still many possibilities for Eugenie, but whatever the future holds for her, I've not doubt she survives it.
June 12, 2012
I'm not quite sure what to say about this book. There were chapters that I loved, chapters that I skimmed, chapters that I hated, and chapters that made no sense. In fact, much of the book made no sense to me. It is beautifully written--as to prose style. It certainly creates the period in which it takes place. Its plot is buried--like a dog's bone in a closely planted garden--difficult to spot and even more difficult to dig up without harming the plants around it. I read to the end to find out what happens to our heroine--but that was not to be. The ending is as enigmatic as Eugenie herself and her life. I'm not sure that I would recommend it--and I think that I'm glad I read it. Give me some time to digest it...
December 22, 2014
Transporting. Writerly, lush, decadent, gritty, dreamy and real with silk, art and artists, corsets, hunger, absinthe, rag pickers, syphilis, petticoats, chocolate, tripe, rodents, war, siege, lovers, friends, family, police, soldiers, politics, madames, barricades, survival of the heart and of the self.
One of the best books I've read this year...and there have been many. I hope Carole DeSanti produces more novels: Take me back to 19th century France. Or somewhere, sometime. Please.
One of the best books I've read this year...and there have been many. I hope Carole DeSanti produces more novels: Take me back to 19th century France. Or somewhere, sometime. Please.
September 6, 2012
This was not an easy book to read. The style is almost stream of conciousness and at times very difficult to follow. Much of the time it goes on and on about observances that have seemingly little to do with the actual plot line.
We often hear about the ladies and fine gentlemen of history, but little of the people who had to struggle just to eat or stay alive. Eugenie's story holds great promise even though it's sad and somewhat tragic. Unfortunately though, for me, this book was just frustrating to read with little pay off in the end.
After struggling through the entire book I found that I never really connected to any of the characters. The last chapter was even more difficult to follow than the rest of it. However, after 405 pages of rambling prose, I was happy to finally finish it even though the ending was not what I hoped for at all.
If you're looking for a challenge this is the book for you~
We often hear about the ladies and fine gentlemen of history, but little of the people who had to struggle just to eat or stay alive. Eugenie's story holds great promise even though it's sad and somewhat tragic. Unfortunately though, for me, this book was just frustrating to read with little pay off in the end.
After struggling through the entire book I found that I never really connected to any of the characters. The last chapter was even more difficult to follow than the rest of it. However, after 405 pages of rambling prose, I was happy to finally finish it even though the ending was not what I hoped for at all.
If you're looking for a challenge this is the book for you~
May 16, 2012
The story was convoluted by the over use of flowery prose, which leaves the reader feeling distracted and bored. I was so focused on the descriptions and language that I found myself having to go back and re-read chapters or passages to make sure I had a full grasp of what was going on. The prose was elegant and beautiful but it just took up too much of the story. Overall this story was just 'meah' for me and that is heartbreaking because the cover is beautiful and stunning in a way that the novel just wasn't. The ingredients are right for a great story but something about this one just didn't deliver for me. See my full review here
February 1, 2022
DNF, pg 125. Humbug.
After a certain point, you just have to admit a disappointing book isn’t going to morph from a dry, overwritten, vague word-yodel into the awesomely vivid, tawdry, involving saga you wish it was. *sadface* Seriously, I love the concept here (& also the cover 🙃), but this is just so boring. It wouldn’t be so boring if it wasn’t so slow, & it wouldn’t be so slow if it wasn’t so overwritten. It’s a vicious cycle—the snake eating its own tail—& I can do nothing but admit defeat.
2 stars for a handful of pretty descriptions.
After a certain point, you just have to admit a disappointing book isn’t going to morph from a dry, overwritten, vague word-yodel into the awesomely vivid, tawdry, involving saga you wish it was. *sadface* Seriously, I love the concept here (& also the cover 🙃), but this is just so boring. It wouldn’t be so boring if it wasn’t so slow, & it wouldn’t be so slow if it wasn’t so overwritten. It’s a vicious cycle—the snake eating its own tail—& I can do nothing but admit defeat.
2 stars for a handful of pretty descriptions.
November 12, 2013
In this "grand repas" of a novel, the author, and therefore her readers, inhabits the heart and mind of a woman who, like most, wants romantic love, wants a child, and wants the freedom to live a productive life. But unlike most, Eugenie R savors and endures the chaotic place and times that are her lot with absolute subtlety and insight. Seldom have I read a book this intelligent and artful.
I read it at bedtime, and soon I was turning back the covers an hour earlier than usual and turning out the light two or three hours later than my need for rest demanded. Despite the sleep deprivation I suffered at the hands of this author, I found that she could not be sleep-read. I had to fully engage with the prose, which suited me. I don't wish to be spoon-fed as a reader, but rather for my own intelligence to be called into action. I was inside the mind of the protagonist, and when we are inside a mind, all that is obvious to that mind must be left unsaid. This may present some difficulties for some readers, but for the author to do otherwise would break the interiority and the subjective spell.
Although Eugenie leads a punishing and difficult life, I couldn't wait each evening to reenter the complete and exotic Parisian period her creator evoked. I needed to see Eugenie reunited with Berthe, the daughter she gave up as a baby in one of the most heart-rending scenes of maternal loss and sacrifice that I've ever read. But despite the losses and privations she endured, Eugenie does not see herself as a victim. She sees, rather, the divide experienced by many women, whether of her era or our own, between the self "that observed the world but could not act; the other that moved heedlessly, lacking a sense of the world's consequence, and the machinery to stave it off." It is not until full maturity that a woman begins to look back and have that "first shuddering sensation of (her) own particular folly." Eugenie's folly turns on falling in love with the first man who promises her transcendence-an eternally repeating plot, both in fiction and life, but this author renews it by way of immediacy and the originality of her insights and prose, immersing us in one of the most richly drawn worlds we are ever likely to enter, even if the majority of those we meet there are poor.
Along the way, I had my feminist consciousness expanded. During this period in French history women lacking husbands or rich families had little means of survival other than prostitution, which was regulated and taxed by the state. The practice was institutionalized, in brief, and few women who entered that institution ever left it-unless by way of disease or old age, at which point they were cast out from the "maisons de tolerance," or brothels. I also learned more French history reading this book than I might otherwise have learned in my lifetime. Swept up by DeSanti's deft language and narration, I didn't even notice that pill going down.
I read it at bedtime, and soon I was turning back the covers an hour earlier than usual and turning out the light two or three hours later than my need for rest demanded. Despite the sleep deprivation I suffered at the hands of this author, I found that she could not be sleep-read. I had to fully engage with the prose, which suited me. I don't wish to be spoon-fed as a reader, but rather for my own intelligence to be called into action. I was inside the mind of the protagonist, and when we are inside a mind, all that is obvious to that mind must be left unsaid. This may present some difficulties for some readers, but for the author to do otherwise would break the interiority and the subjective spell.
Although Eugenie leads a punishing and difficult life, I couldn't wait each evening to reenter the complete and exotic Parisian period her creator evoked. I needed to see Eugenie reunited with Berthe, the daughter she gave up as a baby in one of the most heart-rending scenes of maternal loss and sacrifice that I've ever read. But despite the losses and privations she endured, Eugenie does not see herself as a victim. She sees, rather, the divide experienced by many women, whether of her era or our own, between the self "that observed the world but could not act; the other that moved heedlessly, lacking a sense of the world's consequence, and the machinery to stave it off." It is not until full maturity that a woman begins to look back and have that "first shuddering sensation of (her) own particular folly." Eugenie's folly turns on falling in love with the first man who promises her transcendence-an eternally repeating plot, both in fiction and life, but this author renews it by way of immediacy and the originality of her insights and prose, immersing us in one of the most richly drawn worlds we are ever likely to enter, even if the majority of those we meet there are poor.
Along the way, I had my feminist consciousness expanded. During this period in French history women lacking husbands or rich families had little means of survival other than prostitution, which was regulated and taxed by the state. The practice was institutionalized, in brief, and few women who entered that institution ever left it-unless by way of disease or old age, at which point they were cast out from the "maisons de tolerance," or brothels. I also learned more French history reading this book than I might otherwise have learned in my lifetime. Swept up by DeSanti's deft language and narration, I didn't even notice that pill going down.
March 3, 2015
I listened to this on an MP3CD, read by the incomparable Kate Reading. It was a joy to listen to her beautiful Parisian French accent -- made me want to pull out my old school French texts and brush up. The story is lush but over-long, I think. It's an eye-opening look at the few, difficult options open to women in 19th century Paris, and a woman's eye view of the Franco-Prussian War, about which I knew absolutely nothing. Interesting, but a VERY leisurely read.
At novel's end I concluded that I enjoyed it but still wished for a good editor to streamline things a bit. And I wish the ending had been clearer -- will she EVER meet and get to know the daughter she had to give up, I wonder? I'm so glad I didn't live in Paris then.
I WILL add that I am tickled by Goodreads' "With their backs to the reader" list, featuring books with intriguing covers like this one that show figures turned away from the reader. What a great display idea for a book store or a library! Isn't it interesting how a good cover can pull you to a book you might not have picked up otherwise?
At novel's end I concluded that I enjoyed it but still wished for a good editor to streamline things a bit. And I wish the ending had been clearer -- will she EVER meet and get to know the daughter she had to give up, I wonder? I'm so glad I didn't live in Paris then.
I WILL add that I am tickled by Goodreads' "With their backs to the reader" list, featuring books with intriguing covers like this one that show figures turned away from the reader. What a great display idea for a book store or a library! Isn't it interesting how a good cover can pull you to a book you might not have picked up otherwise?
February 7, 2017
Actual rating is closer to 2.5 stars
Somewhere during the course of this book I stopped reading for pleasure, stopped reading as an enjoyable pastime but began reading for the sheer determination of finishing what I'd started. That's not to say the book was entirely bad. On the contrary, it had great "bones". The story wrapped up in overly descriptive and run on language was very interesting. It was the cutting through them that was tedious and mind numbing. I'll also say if you have not had some higher level French history and language classes this is definitely not the book for you. I have had both, but to be honest more than 20 years ago, and I still found getting through this book difficult at times. I'm a bit embarrassed to say there were several times I was simply reading words. I'd finish and have absolutely no clue what I just read. Not only is the book bogged down with literary 19th century prose just about every sentence throws a French word in for good measure.
So glad to be finished with this one!!!
Somewhere during the course of this book I stopped reading for pleasure, stopped reading as an enjoyable pastime but began reading for the sheer determination of finishing what I'd started. That's not to say the book was entirely bad. On the contrary, it had great "bones". The story wrapped up in overly descriptive and run on language was very interesting. It was the cutting through them that was tedious and mind numbing. I'll also say if you have not had some higher level French history and language classes this is definitely not the book for you. I have had both, but to be honest more than 20 years ago, and I still found getting through this book difficult at times. I'm a bit embarrassed to say there were several times I was simply reading words. I'd finish and have absolutely no clue what I just read. Not only is the book bogged down with literary 19th century prose just about every sentence throws a French word in for good measure.
So glad to be finished with this one!!!
July 5, 2015
Let me start by saying that I had a hard time writing this review for this story. There is so much that I want to say, yet I'm having trouble finding the words for it. If you enjoyed "Memoirs of a Geisha" or "Great Expectations" you will probably enjoy this book as well.
Desanti's "The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R." is a story of a girl being a woman, her fall from graces, loss of innocence, and naivety of the world. Born to a respectable family in a provincial French town, she is raised to always be a good girl. However, upon her father's death, she was beguiled by a handsome stranger who persuades her to join him in Paris. This is where the story truly begins for Eugenie: she finds herself alone and penniless in the duplicitous city of Paris. There is much misfortune, disappointment, bitterness, and trickery; but there is also hope, resilience and perseverance as well. "How does a woman begin to doubt herself? When does it happen, and why?" Eugenie thinks about this question periodically over the years. One could go so far as to say that it is one of the key themes in this story.
The theme that I loved best, however, was the duplicity. Everything beautiful has an underlying sinister aspect that may not be outwardly visible at first. The city of Paris is a good example. Growing up, the farmers in the provincial town talk about the wonders of Paris. A city of lights, beauty, fortune, art, and fame. However, upon arriving in Paris, Eugenie is hit with a major culture shock. As a young, unmarried woman, there is a strict set of rules that she is supposed to follow to maintain proper public appearances. And more pressingly, being penniless in Paris is a dangerous thing. She starts to realize that maybe Paris isn't so wonderful after all. However, it is interesting to note that she could still not bring herself to leave. Love and hate.
One thing that you will come to realize about Eugenie is that a lot of bad things happen to her. Her luck seems to go from bad to worse. I understand that this is a pretty realistic approach to a character. However, my chief issue is that I find her to be a very reactionary person. From what I gathered, she seems to wait for these bad things to happen to her and then tries her best to deal with them. Obviously, it does take a strong character to suffer through everything she experienced, but I can't help but feel that much of her heartache could have been avoided altogether had she taken a more proactive approach to life. In my opinion, she seemed to be almost waiting for the next crisis to come alone. Waiting for the money to run out. Waiting for the siege. Waiting for Stephan or Chasseloup or Henri or Joli. Waiting for someone new to come and rescue her. When she first arrives in Paris, I can understand this behaviour. However, as the years pass, one would think that she would learn that she can't just wait around. If she wants to succeed she has to pursue actively pursue.
As far as the writing style goes, it is a very literary approach (for lack of better word). I won't lie, it is a fairly tedious book to read, even borderline difficult. Some of the terms and the way situations are described makes it hard to figure out what is actually happening. There are lots of instances where you have read between the lines, which would make it a great read for anyone who likes to figure things out for themselves.
There is also lots of great symbolism. I mean lots. There are too many symbols to name but a few are: the various flowers that she describes, the weather, the clothing, the food they ate, her memories, certain jewellery... I know there's a great many other things too, but you'll have to read the book to find the rest! This is where you can get a true feel for how intelligent Desanti is.
Oh, and by the way... I'm pretty sure that in this context "les inscrits" are prostitutes.
Desanti's "The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R." is a story of a girl being a woman, her fall from graces, loss of innocence, and naivety of the world. Born to a respectable family in a provincial French town, she is raised to always be a good girl. However, upon her father's death, she was beguiled by a handsome stranger who persuades her to join him in Paris. This is where the story truly begins for Eugenie: she finds herself alone and penniless in the duplicitous city of Paris. There is much misfortune, disappointment, bitterness, and trickery; but there is also hope, resilience and perseverance as well. "How does a woman begin to doubt herself? When does it happen, and why?" Eugenie thinks about this question periodically over the years. One could go so far as to say that it is one of the key themes in this story.
The theme that I loved best, however, was the duplicity. Everything beautiful has an underlying sinister aspect that may not be outwardly visible at first. The city of Paris is a good example. Growing up, the farmers in the provincial town talk about the wonders of Paris. A city of lights, beauty, fortune, art, and fame. However, upon arriving in Paris, Eugenie is hit with a major culture shock. As a young, unmarried woman, there is a strict set of rules that she is supposed to follow to maintain proper public appearances. And more pressingly, being penniless in Paris is a dangerous thing. She starts to realize that maybe Paris isn't so wonderful after all. However, it is interesting to note that she could still not bring herself to leave. Love and hate.
One thing that you will come to realize about Eugenie is that a lot of bad things happen to her. Her luck seems to go from bad to worse. I understand that this is a pretty realistic approach to a character. However, my chief issue is that I find her to be a very reactionary person. From what I gathered, she seems to wait for these bad things to happen to her and then tries her best to deal with them. Obviously, it does take a strong character to suffer through everything she experienced, but I can't help but feel that much of her heartache could have been avoided altogether had she taken a more proactive approach to life. In my opinion, she seemed to be almost waiting for the next crisis to come alone. Waiting for the money to run out. Waiting for the siege. Waiting for Stephan or Chasseloup or Henri or Joli. Waiting for someone new to come and rescue her. When she first arrives in Paris, I can understand this behaviour. However, as the years pass, one would think that she would learn that she can't just wait around. If she wants to succeed she has to pursue actively pursue.
As far as the writing style goes, it is a very literary approach (for lack of better word). I won't lie, it is a fairly tedious book to read, even borderline difficult. Some of the terms and the way situations are described makes it hard to figure out what is actually happening. There are lots of instances where you have read between the lines, which would make it a great read for anyone who likes to figure things out for themselves.
There is also lots of great symbolism. I mean lots. There are too many symbols to name but a few are: the various flowers that she describes, the weather, the clothing, the food they ate, her memories, certain jewellery... I know there's a great many other things too, but you'll have to read the book to find the rest! This is where you can get a true feel for how intelligent Desanti is.
Oh, and by the way... I'm pretty sure that in this context "les inscrits" are prostitutes.
September 9, 2013
I am haunted by this extraordinary historical novel. I've told everyone I know to read it, and I've given many copies as gifts. The detail in the depiction of characters is lush. The story of Eugenie is so compelling I had to allocate reading the novel to post 10 pm or I would have skipped work to read it all day, night, day till I reached the end. It is politically important without clobbering readers over the head. The setting and characters are so vivid I wonder if the author was in a trance when she wrote Unruly Passions, but that suggests that it is without craft, and this novel is beautifully sculpted. It is perfect for book groups -- don't worry abt length -- it's a page turner in the best ways. This is an amazing first novel.
January 25, 2016
Today I gave up reading this book after 169 pages. I thought I would enjoy reading this historical fiction about the Second Empire in France. Very little was historical--one could not tell what time period the Eugenie was living in. Eugenie leaves her hometown with her lover; they live an empassioned life for a few months and then Stephan sends her to Paris with the promise that he will join her. Of course he does not, the money runs out and Eugenie becomes the model for an artist and then he leaves and she becomes a prostitute and bears Stephan's child. It was very difficult to tell what was happening as everything was alluded to, no straight forward writing. I began to think I was dumb, not understanding what was happening. Finally gave up.
August 4, 2012
This is about a young woman who lived in Paris during the tumultuous mid 1800s. It was a time when women had few choices, and men held all the power. She makes her way through a life of prostitution and has a child she leaves at a convent, which is her greatest sorrow. Through her wits and her talents, Eugenie slowly makes a better life, and searches for her little girl. But it is the wonderful writing, the well drawn characters, and the powerful sense of time and place that the author draws that I really loved. She writes so well of Paris in battle, under siege, suffering famine, and the hopelessness and fear of that time. Eugenie's musings about her life are wonderful. Beautiful writing!
September 29, 2012
DeSanti's debut is fairly kick ass. Why? The atmosphere it left me with remains potent and haunting. This novel is packed with sensory and observational detail, not failing in that aspect once through the lengthy read...yet remains so strongly cohesive that it reads like an actual memoir. I am a proponent of reincarnation, and the Paris I know I have known before was within reach through this book. Heartbreaking, horrifying, sensual, and human. A wonderful account of a woman's rather tumultous journey through political and personal revolution, how both fate and her own decisions shape her life, with the just right amount of redemption. I do recommend.
March 16, 2015
I spent about 3 weeks trying to read and love this book. The premise was great, the setting was great, but I just could not read this book. The author is gifted with words, but perhaps not with the arranging thereof--some people can write vast, complex, twisting trains of thought and have them work and work deliciously, but in order to do that, you need to actually CONNECT them. Having little reveries, little disconnected wanderings through pretty prose took away from the story, and I got about halfway through and just couldn't do it anymore. I might try to return to it at a different time, but for me, this was a fail.
July 11, 2015
I struggled and struggled and made it through 80% of this novel, then out of frustration stopped to read the reviews. Turns out it wasn't just me! I join in the many readers who really tried to understand this book, but found it vague, confusing, unnecessarily flowery, and disappointing. I was really starting to wonder about my reading comprehension when I kept thinking, "what? when did he reappear? where is she? what just happened?" I would back track and try to put the pieces together, unsuccessfully. Like another reviewer stated, the timeline and glossary should be at the front of the book, not the back. They might have helped.
September 4, 2013
Historical fiction at its finest. This is a fabulous exploration of a woman finding ways to empower herself in the most dire of unfortunate circumstances. Not only did I learn the history of a period from a woman's perspective, but I also felt viscerally how we've had to trade our flesh at times just to survive. Eugeny R. is the quintessential survivor, true to herself, and full of passion and wit. The writing is flawless. I find myself wanting to travel to Paris and retrace her footsteps, and drink and eat with her and her companions.
October 25, 2012
I wanted to like this, I really, really wanted to. I read that it took the author (a book editor with a major publishing house) 10 years to write this book...and that's just how it feels. Disjointed in spots, overworked prose throughout..I read up through 220 or so pages before I just couldn't do it anymore. Is it because my mind is mush from teen books?
August 31, 2012
It was really well researched, but it showed. The author got mired in the history, and forgot to tell the actual story in a clear manner.
October 23, 2022
This novel published in 2012, takes place in 19th century Paris during the period of the Second Empire.
In 1860, seventeen-year-old Eugenie Rigault leaves her humble village home in the foie gras region of France and makes her way to Paris to meet her lover Stephan de Chaveignes, a young man from one of the foremost families of Paris. When she arrives, she books herself into a hotel with the small amount of money Stephan has given her and waits for his arrival. During their passionate affair, he never proposed marriage but they had an understanding and he promised to take care of her. After waiting impatiently for him for weeks, Eugenie realizes he is not coming; Stephan has abandoned her.
Finding herself pregnant and without a means of support, she begins working as a model for penniless painter Pierre Chasseloup, who also leaves her stranded when he moves to another city to finish a painting. Starving and left to her own devices, she is rescued by Francine, a woman who feeds, clothes and recruits her to work as a prostitute at Deux Soeurs, a brothel with a select group of clients including men in government, business, and industry. It is a better and safer environment than plying her trade in the streets. There she is provided with meals, medical care and a guaranteed clientele, without the worry of watching for the police or paying some nasty bruiser for protection.
Francine offers Eugenie ergot to abort the baby but she refuses it, abandoning the brothel and giving birth to a child she names Berthe. Caring for a baby and working the streets prove to be a difficult combination and when Berthe becomes ill, Eugenie panics, and fearing the child will die if she does not receive proper care, leaves her with the nuns at the local hospice; a decision she later regrets.
Eugenie works her trade on the streets of Paris among assorted lovers, revolutionaries and friends as her fortunes ebb and flow. There are times when she just gets by, making a meager living and supported by friends and others who care about her, including a wealthy man who uses her friendship to hide his homosexual leanings.
This is a huge novel, including over four hundred pages. It takes a wide historic sweep, filled with the painstaking detail of this period in France. Eugenie grows from naïve goose girl in the country to resilient survivor in the city as she tries to support herself, stay out of prison, find her daughter, and track down her former lover. It unfolds against the background of an ever-changing political environment and as the Franco-Prussian War wages, she is caught behind the gates of a besieged city and looks on as the Prussian army makes a triumphant march through Paris.
This is a densely plotted novel, heavy with period descriptions which include everything from the food, clothes, architecture and the life of young girls at a Paris brothel. At times those details overwhelm Eugenie’s story, stalling the narrative of the young girl who continues to look for the man who abandoned her and the child she lost.
Initially it was difficult to get into this novel and it took time to become accustomed to the writer’s style, weighed down by the descriptive prose which rightly conveys a tone and atmosphere suitable to the time period. Once past those initial pages, the pace improved and moved through the middle section but faltered once more towards the end, when the political events described a city in siege and Eugenie’s story stalled once again.
Eugenie is not a strong character and is difficult to connect with as are many of her friends. The exception is her best friend and mentor Jolie, who moves in and out of the narrative at various times. Jolie has a strong will, bleak good humour, wears men’s cologne, carries a knife in her boot, and downs two glasses of brandy before her nightly assignations. One can imagine her personal story would be even more interesting than that of Eugenie.
The ending did not prove satisfying and the reader is left uncertain of Eugenie’s future path. However the novel has much to recommend it and those interested in the details of life in Paris during this time period will find it a good read.
In 1860, seventeen-year-old Eugenie Rigault leaves her humble village home in the foie gras region of France and makes her way to Paris to meet her lover Stephan de Chaveignes, a young man from one of the foremost families of Paris. When she arrives, she books herself into a hotel with the small amount of money Stephan has given her and waits for his arrival. During their passionate affair, he never proposed marriage but they had an understanding and he promised to take care of her. After waiting impatiently for him for weeks, Eugenie realizes he is not coming; Stephan has abandoned her.
Finding herself pregnant and without a means of support, she begins working as a model for penniless painter Pierre Chasseloup, who also leaves her stranded when he moves to another city to finish a painting. Starving and left to her own devices, she is rescued by Francine, a woman who feeds, clothes and recruits her to work as a prostitute at Deux Soeurs, a brothel with a select group of clients including men in government, business, and industry. It is a better and safer environment than plying her trade in the streets. There she is provided with meals, medical care and a guaranteed clientele, without the worry of watching for the police or paying some nasty bruiser for protection.
Francine offers Eugenie ergot to abort the baby but she refuses it, abandoning the brothel and giving birth to a child she names Berthe. Caring for a baby and working the streets prove to be a difficult combination and when Berthe becomes ill, Eugenie panics, and fearing the child will die if she does not receive proper care, leaves her with the nuns at the local hospice; a decision she later regrets.
Eugenie works her trade on the streets of Paris among assorted lovers, revolutionaries and friends as her fortunes ebb and flow. There are times when she just gets by, making a meager living and supported by friends and others who care about her, including a wealthy man who uses her friendship to hide his homosexual leanings.
This is a huge novel, including over four hundred pages. It takes a wide historic sweep, filled with the painstaking detail of this period in France. Eugenie grows from naïve goose girl in the country to resilient survivor in the city as she tries to support herself, stay out of prison, find her daughter, and track down her former lover. It unfolds against the background of an ever-changing political environment and as the Franco-Prussian War wages, she is caught behind the gates of a besieged city and looks on as the Prussian army makes a triumphant march through Paris.
This is a densely plotted novel, heavy with period descriptions which include everything from the food, clothes, architecture and the life of young girls at a Paris brothel. At times those details overwhelm Eugenie’s story, stalling the narrative of the young girl who continues to look for the man who abandoned her and the child she lost.
Initially it was difficult to get into this novel and it took time to become accustomed to the writer’s style, weighed down by the descriptive prose which rightly conveys a tone and atmosphere suitable to the time period. Once past those initial pages, the pace improved and moved through the middle section but faltered once more towards the end, when the political events described a city in siege and Eugenie’s story stalled once again.
Eugenie is not a strong character and is difficult to connect with as are many of her friends. The exception is her best friend and mentor Jolie, who moves in and out of the narrative at various times. Jolie has a strong will, bleak good humour, wears men’s cologne, carries a knife in her boot, and downs two glasses of brandy before her nightly assignations. One can imagine her personal story would be even more interesting than that of Eugenie.
The ending did not prove satisfying and the reader is left uncertain of Eugenie’s future path. However the novel has much to recommend it and those interested in the details of life in Paris during this time period will find it a good read.
September 23, 2017
I loved this book. I really felt drawn back to an era with a big divide between the rich and royal set and the common people. A well told story depicting the less savory side of life and the people who go on living their lives and finding their passion for living even in the middle of it all.
August 18, 2020
Evoking the styles of the new Impressionists and Abstractionists, she paints a picture of the struggles of living in Paris in the turbulent last half of the 19th century – colorful and interesting in pieces, but the whole is rather a blur.
October 19, 2020
Disjointed dialougue and meandering discriptions made this story hard to follow for long stretches. And then there would be sections and chapters that were beautiful and really strong. It's a shrug from me. Loved parts, but untimately, it was a drag.
December 26, 2021
Beautifully written, full of description bring 1860's Paris to life. The pain and struggle of the women comes to life.
February 18, 2023
Did not care for this. The writing was "choppy", and hard to read. Honestly I can't even remember the plot and I just finished it.
June 2, 2025
This book dragged on so much I think I considered giving up on it numerous times.
Finally finished.
I have nothing to say but that I really wouldn’t recommend it.
Finally finished.
I have nothing to say but that I really wouldn’t recommend it.
July 30, 2012
Eugenie R. was raised in the countryside of France on a farm that produces fois gras. When a handsome and titled man professes his love for her she flees to Paris on the promise that he will soon follow. When he does not show up at their meeting place Eugenie finds herself left to her own devices and quickly trapped in the underbelly of Parisian society. Through Eugenie’s eyes we witness Paris in the mid 1800’s, the artists, the bordellos, the politics and the scandals, but most importantly the treatment of women.
This book is historical fiction at its best. Despite the fact that the subject material, true to 19th century Paris, is a little tawdry and very gritty Ms. DiSanti presents the reader with a beautifully written novel. Eugenie’s movements from farm girl, to abandoned lover, to prostitute, to single mother is embellished by what is going on at the time. Everything fits nicely. I enjoyed following Eugenie’s life from “poor little me” through to a woman standing her ground.
This book is historical fiction at its best. Despite the fact that the subject material, true to 19th century Paris, is a little tawdry and very gritty Ms. DiSanti presents the reader with a beautifully written novel. Eugenie’s movements from farm girl, to abandoned lover, to prostitute, to single mother is embellished by what is going on at the time. Everything fits nicely. I enjoyed following Eugenie’s life from “poor little me” through to a woman standing her ground.
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